Wii FAQ

The mission was simple. Write about what games or aspect of Wii excites you the most. Two paragraphs only and each paragraph should highlight one particular aspect or game. Here's how the staff responded:

Jason says,

The most exciting part about Wii is perhaps not even a tangible element. Since the day it was unveiled it was quite clear that Wii was going to be more about a complete shift in the philosophy that our industry has clung to for more than a decade; a day of renaissance for all who feel a change may be necessary. Breaking it down to its individual qualities is really exciting, but the big picture takes the cake. The Wii is poised as the console that undoubtedly has the highest chance to change both public and industry perception of this medium. Many people can at least agree that whether or not Wii will succeed, the mission is noble.

However, the console interface really needs to be singled out as an absolutely brilliant change. Time will tell if the controller is reliable or intuitive enough, but the design is unmistakably fresh. Controlling with gestures in the real world and having sounds come right from your controller is a bold and necessary step forward in game design. Having all this functionality in a controller the size of a television remote is going to go down as one of the most remarkably bold and genius designs in the industry's history.

Matt says,

Wii represents a potential major shift in what I really do believe is a gaming industry whose offerings are growing increasingly stale. The Remote, by itself, represents a shift away from increasingly abstracted and confusing controls into a realm where a whole new set of game verbs are available, and they all play off things you do in the real world. Want to pick something up? Reach your real hand toward it and squeeze your fingers, then drag it to where you want to put it and let it go. Twist your wrist to turn a virtual knob. Push obstacles out of the way. The possibilities of interacting with the game universe are so potentially rich I can't help but wonder what's yet to come.

Speaking of what's around the corner, what some gamers see as Wii's biggest failure (its relatively-underpowered graphical prowess) I see as a great strength. By not effectively forcing development dollars to be spent on beefing up the visuals, Wii can potentially free up more resources for trying riskier or more varied experiments in gaming. By not requiring as much of an investment to acquire, Wii can potentially reach a greater and more varied audience than the status quo of console gaming. We've not seen much of this yet beyond a few timid examples, but I suspect a few success stories might light the fire under the publishers doling out the dollars. Wii truly has potential to revitalize a stagnant industry.

James R. says,

We've been told time and time again, "It's all about the games." But is it really all about the games? Every generation of console has brought more and more power, and yes for the most part that power has been squandered by developers seeking ever more beautiful graphics, in lieu of fulfilling gameplay. But every generation still has at least one game that couldn't be fully realized on the previous platform. A concept that was freed by the systems superior power, media format or better controller. A concept that is so original it creates or redefines a genre. This is what excites me the most about the Wii; the possibilities.

Yes the Wii lacks in graphical prowess, regardless though its hardware is still superior in almost every other way over its competitors. It's the superiorities in hardware innovation that make the Wii unique and will hopefully allow developers to bring us those games that could never be realized before, games that still can't be realized on its competitors machines. I don't yet know what that game will be for the Wii, but I for one can't wait to find out.

Dan says,

The Revolution is coming. Nintendo has been telling us for over two years now, that the way we play games is going to change. Developers should be allowed to create games that don't cost hundreds of millions of dollars. Gamers should be allowed to convince their families to play with them without bribery. Gaming should be as normal as seeing a summer movie, or reading a book. And for crying out loud, people should be allowed to go to the store and not have to be worried that buying a game console will stop them from buying a car. The Revolution is almost here.

Wii will change the system. I envy the new gamers who will be joining us soon. They get to start gaming at a level we could only dream about when we started. The thought of Tom Nook and Rayman will bring back a flood of nostalgia from their early gaming years the same way Pit and Pac-Man were there for us when we were growing up. They will never need to know a world of blowing into cartridges, sitting alone in a dark basement, being called a loser or a nerd because they enjoy playing video games. They are joining us at the birth of a gaming renaissance, and Wii will be there to lead the way. Wii will let them play with us. Wii will show them what gaming was like at the beginning, and Wii will show them the way of the future. Wii can do it.

Travis says,

I'm all about the games, honestly. There are many things I adore about the Wii; from what it'll do for the industry as a whole to the new control style, but in the end this innovative product means nothing without the games. When I first heard about Super Mario Galaxy I knew it was the thing I had been looking forward to my whole life and I didn't even know it! My love for astronomy combined with my favorite plumber is enough to bring joy to me even on those inevitable bad days when I have to bury my relatives. The large amount of exploration the title is sure to have is what really gets me. I remember playing Super Mario 64 and being absolutely lost in the world despite how small some of the areas were. Now I can get lost in multiple worlds! The experience is heightened with the possibility of black holes, gravity, asteroids, and other sorts of space anomalies affecting gameplay. The potential behind this game is amazing. Space is very, very big, and as such I expect very big things from Super Mario Galaxy.

It should be no secret that the FPS genre is my favorite of all genres thanks to such hit titles as GoldenEye and Half-Life. As a result the wii-remote's most obvious use has become the thing I look forward to most. But, honestly, I'm more interested in how the genre will evolve because of advantages the controller grants more than I'm interested in being able to aim effectively enough to make a mouse/keyboard setup jealous. The ability in Red Steel to turn the wii-remote sideways and thus turn your gun sideways in the game (gangsta' style) is only the tip of the iceberg for me. I want more than a FPS that plays as well as it does on the PC. I want something that blows PC FPS titles out of the water. I believe that, in time, the Wii will provide that experience. Bring on the games.

Dean says,

The Nintendo Wii, is something that you've really got to play before you can pass any judgment on it. It's like that old saying goes, don't knock it 'til you've tried it. As much fun as I had with the machine and controller at E3, there were still things that could have been improved, and for all I know over the course of time and with all of Nintendo's ultimate wisdom, they have been.

What shines so much for me, is it's such a breath of fresh air, it's not the same crap with some minor visual upgrades and a new resolution, instead, it's the same crap with a whole new way of playing with it. You literally get to fling it around and interact with it. Fecal jokes aside, the Wii has the chance to be Nintendo's redeeming factor. We all said the same thing with the GameCube and look where that left us, but I think we can finally agree that the Wii actually has a chance.

Glen says,

For me, Wii is a dream. It's the ultimate console that I didn't believe Nintendo nor any other company would deliver. Yet, in just a few months, it will be in my hands. I've long argued that in addition to increasing visuals, increases in interaction are necessary. The Wii remote accomplishes that. I've also argued that online distribution is the future. The Virtual Console accomplishes that. Finally, I've argued for a sense of community and continuity between the game world and real-life. The Wii Channels and WiiConnect24 accomplishes that. It's all there and I still haven't recovered from the shock that it's actually coming.

Then there are the games. Wii games, GameCube games, N64 games, SNES games, Genesis games, NES games, TurboGrafx games, MSX games and more to be announced. The Wii will be overflowing with games. Within the first year of launch we'll have blockbusters Super Mario Galaxy, Zelda: Twilight Princess, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Super Paper Mario, and Metroid Prime 3. And that's only listing the big five. I can't remember a time when Nintendo delivered such an epic line-up of games. Like I said, I'm in shock. Wow.